Confirmed: Alt-J to play at Sziget 2017

Less than 24 hours before Sziget 2017’s official announcement, one of the performers to participate was revealed: Alt-J will take the stage on the 15th of August 2017. The date (no time slot for now) appeared at the band’s agent’s website and spotted by a SzigetNews reader. Alt-J was also confirmed earlier to perform at Electric Castle 2017.

Alt-J is a Leeds (UK) based indie rock band, turning 10 years old this year. The band’s debut album “An Awesome Wave” was released in 2012 – before that, Gwil Sainsbury (guitar/bass), Joe Newman (guitar/lead vocals), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards/vocals) and Thom Green (drums) mostly played at their alma mater, Leeds University (and they recorded in their hall rooms using GarageBand). After graduating, the crew moved to Cambridge and started working on their music before signing a deal with Infectious Music, a record label with bands like Derenge, Superfood, and Local Natives under its umbrella, in 2011. As a result, the band’s first album appeared in 2012 – the material, called “An Awesome Wave”, brought them recognition and a British Mercury Prize (offered to the best album from the UK by the British Phonographic Industry and British Association of Record Dealers, as an alternative to the BRIT Awards). The album was well-received in their home country, being announced as the Album of the Year 2012 by BBC Radio 6 Music and winning the “Album of the year” at the Ivor Novello Awards in 2013.

Alt-J announced its second album, This Is All Yours, was released in September 2014, and it was also very well received, being nominated for the Grammy award offered to the “Best Alternative Music Album” (finally won by St. Vincent), and going straight to the top spot of the UK’s Official Albums Chart.

There are currently a few rumors circulating about the possibility of a third Alt-J album to be released, yet there’s nothing factual to be heard about it yet. Members of the band have been cited to be “excited” about returning to the studio, and that’s about it.

One thing’s for sure: they will join the Sziget 2017 lineup, playing on the island on the 15th of August 2017.

Agreed with Bender, if it was a headliner I wouldn’t have been delighted with them taking up a slot, but it’s strong for a sub, I just hope someone good plays after them opposite DV&LM to close out the festival!

Since now, The Kills-AltJ-Leningrad-Interpol is great, but Im sure we gonna have some decent 22.00 spot on A38. Did for 3 years 2/3 slots on main and from 10 to 6 at A38, dont wanna change this trend this year lol

Anyway Kasabian can play at 19:30. I’m looking at their facebook page and they say they’re headlining Reading & Leeds, headlining FIB Festival Internacional de Benicassim, headlining TRNSMT Festival, but with Sziget they’re just “on”. Anyway I wouldn’t mind if they play 21:30. I think I’d even prefer them to take the last slot 🙂

I think that both Alt J and Kasabian are spectacular during the sunset.
I’m meh because I’ve already seen both live, but this is gonna be an occasion to be in first lane for Kasabian this year and, man, I just shiver when I think about the opening of Alt.J’s gig with Hunger of the Pine in 2015

Alt J live not boring at all for me, of course they’re not heavy but they’re just the perfect act for that last sunset, and c’mon: Alt J- Leningrad – Interpol – A38/Colosseum night closers…. it’s a great way to end the journey

Major Lazer, Interpol, Kasabian, Alt-J… basically all of the bigger names played in 2015. DV&LM, Flume, and TDCC are the only bigger acts that didn’t play. So almost 50/50 split for the larger acts. Sort of disappointing. If it was any other festival I’d consider selling my ticket, but I guess I’ll have more time to check out the other activities on offer. I really hope they can come out with something unexpected and different with tomorrow’s announcement.

@Sztigma: Mumfords, the XX, moderat, chance the rapper… didn’t play sziget in recent years 🙂 if that’s the problem

Anyway, this is nowadays industry, bands have to tour 3 years in a row, stop for 1 year to make a record and then other 3 years of touring, that’s the only way to make money. So it’s normal to have repeat bookings every 2 years or even every year. In particular when we are talking about august in Europe which is a difficult moment to held a festival now in 2017

Pretty boring announcement if that’s actually true, but at least it’s (somewhat) clear that Sziget is saving their headliners for later announcements. PJ Harvey and Alt-J are not headliners, and Sziget to this day has still only officially announced one single act as a headliner, and that’s Kasabian.

So, if we consider DV&LM a headliner (end show), and we know Alt-J is playing before them, then we still have 5 other days that need actual headlining acts, including Day -1 and Day 0, which Sziget Italy has hinted are going to be big days for headlining acts.

Still hope for Sziget, although I think they need to stop delaying the big announcements. We’ve basically gotten three full announcements of purely subs and undercards (aside from Kasabian).

I guess I’ve just misjudged her. I guess I was going off Glastonbury, where she was sub on the second stage last year, vs Alt-J who were third down on Pyramid the year before – a spot I would deem bigger (or at least same level). In my head they are bigger than she is but perhaps I am wrong!

PJ Harvey aint the problem, tbh she is the only big-real quality-new name in the list, even if I dont really like her music it has to be told that she is an actual artist (and art is key word in a festival in my mind). For sure I will give her a try, just to confirm my opinion or to confirm it – all in all a show of her costs like 50 bucks or so, so it’s something that I will never have the chance to try again!

The point that disappoints me (lol) is this repetition of 2015’s edition: 3 new names are from there. At first was nice to have few names I havent got the time to see in that edition, than it turns in I dont know funny, as it looked like an easter egg or something like, but now it’s starting to get boring. Assuming this list is real, assuming 2DCC Alt J and PJ Harvey are sub and ML, Kasabian and DM&LM are headliner, we have 3 names out of 6 in the 14 major names of the festival out of the 2015’s edition. That’s not good in general (nothing against Kasabian and Alt J), there are bands in the area good for those spots, why are they letting them behind?

Steve Aoki is a joke, period, but probably I will get drunk as f*ck and go to the Party Arena to bring chaos. Nervo aint my cup of tea.

White Lies in my point of view are the faded version of Editors, meanwhile George Ezra is a more brilliant version of Jake Bugg. All in all, that’s fair lol
Strypes are decent

Anne-Marie is the classic pop name brought along a bigger act (Clean Bandit), like Ella Eyre and Rudimental or Sigma and Paloma Faith in 2015. Nice voice, nice presence on stage, but I can live without

Andy C is probably the only name from the list that we saw coming; and I fell in love with The Naked & Famous

She isn’t bigger than Alt J in terms of popularity for sure. This acts are not even bad, but the fact that they created so much hype with so much days in advance to announce some midcard/undercard it’s incredible for me

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